As you may have read in our columns as well as those of Nice Matin, the Grasse school groups find themselves between a rock and a hard place concerning this issue arising from an educational project themed around the art and manner of claiming rights.
Nice Première interviewed Deputy Jérôme Rivière who, along with two other local Deputies Michèle Tabarot and Lionel Luca, has clearly positioned himself against this educational action.
Nice Première: How do you position yourself regarding this educational initiative?
Jérôme Rivière: Jules Ferry, the “father” of the French public school system, told teachers: “You will not disturb the conscience of the children and their parents.” This initiative is likely to cause significant unrest in the minds of children and their entire families. Therefore, it is a very bad initiative.
NP: Why did you consider this project as an incitement to claim rights?
JR: Because that’s clearly the case. This so-called educational initiative concludes with a demonstration-exhibition. This highlights for children the importance of making claims in the streets. How can we teach respect for others, knowledge of societal rules if the focus by educational teams is on claiming rights? And finally, democracy is above all the principle of representation through voting.
NP: How were you informed of this initiative?
JR: I received several emails on my website, www.jerome-riviere.fr, from readers of Nice Matin surprised by this initiative, who asked me to act.
Later, the association SOS Education, a serious association that I know well, solicited me in the same sense.
NP: Is it the substance or the form, or both combined, that bothers you in this action?
JR: At a time when our country is experiencing a serious identity crisis; while the urban violence of the end of last year and recent days shows a lack of civility from part of our population, teaching children around ten years old to claim rights in the street is not a priority, quite the contrary!
Yes, it is important to teach the youngest their rights, but I would remind you that knowing one’s duties seems to be the priority today! Civic education is the teaching of representative democracy, its institutions, and the principle of secret ballot elections.
NP: You mentioned the concurrency of this project with the events that the country is going through. For what reasons?
JR: The attempts to manipulate the youngest are very strong. How can we believe that middle and high school students who demonstrate in the streets know the texts that govern the CPE? Their demonstration is rather an expression of angst manipulated by unions and left-wing parties.
The Grasse demonstration-exhibition, seems to me, contributes to this disturbance of conscience.
NP: Finally, what follow-up will you give to this “case”?
JR: Along with Michèle Tabarot and Lionnel Luca, we will challenge the Minister of National Education to denounce what strongly resembles indoctrination!
